Drier device for ski shoes and the like



Jan. 24, 1967 H. c. ROBERTS ETAL 3,299,529

DRIER DEVICE FOR SKI SHOES AND THE LIKE Filed April 2, 1964 2Sheets-Sheei II 1 11111 I] 1r r1111 1 1 8 56a 5 24 7 z 74 J 64 HQ 7 L Z9PIE :3 9: g zyxgwToRs. 80 525,454 oaazrs 62 29a i f) BY [mm A. PLPPLEY m20) as Jan. 24, 1967 H. c. ROBERTS ETAL 3,299,529

DRIER DEVICE FOR SKI SHOES AND THE LIKE Filed April 2, 1964 2Sheets-Sinai 2 f 29b"'1 I 42a m 2 I I 2 29a 4 I 24- 25 I I I I 86 E 1444 I I I v I 42a w I H 1 1m ENTORS. 296 um, :I I i1 Hazy/1: 6. 2055275 Am/w: Y5.

United States Patent 3,2993529 DRIER DEVICE FGR SKI SHOES AND THE LIKEHershci C. Roberts, Marysville, Caiif. (9744 N St., I .ive

Oak, Caiif. 95953), and Lloyd L. Peppley, 771 Rideout Way, Marysvilie,Calif. 95901 Filed Apr. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 356,871 7 Claims. (Cl. 34-104)This invention relates to drier devices for drying of shoes and boots,and more particularly, to a portable air drier device for drying wet skishoes and the like, wherein the wet shoes are removed from the pair ofskis and clamped into position in the drier device in the same form aworn in use.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved portabledrier device for wet ski shoes and the like after use in which the shoesmay be dried and formed to their original shape preparatory to furtheruse.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable drying deviceand container therefor wherein the positioning and clamping means of thedrying enclosure fixedly clamps shoes and the like in proper form to dryand restore wet shoes to their natural shape for future use by thewearer.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a heated airdrying enclosure which will uniformly dry both the inside and outsidesurfaces of a pair of boots and the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means wherebysubstantially all surfaces of the shoe are uniformly dried with rapidityand efficiency and wherein the drying operation restores the naturalshape of the shoe without substantial distortion or stiffening of theshoe in the drying process for comfort to the wearer in future use ofthe shoe.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a separatedrier enclosure unit for boots and the like which may be quickly andselectively attached to a conventional hair drier unit for uniformlydrying such articles for further use by the wearer.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a portable dryingdevice to quickly and uniformly dry simultaneously a plurality of skishoes or boots to their natural form and shape without stiffening anddistortion of their shape.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a portable dryingdevice for ski shoes which may be conveniently transported as one ormore separate units from place to place on a ski transport line.

Still other objects of the invention reside in the combination ofelements, arrangement of parts, features of construction, all as will bemore fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein there is shown preferred embodiments of this inventiveconcept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through an exemplaryembodiment of the boot drier of the instant invention with a selfcontained motor, a ski "boot being shown in broken lines, and partsbeing sectionally broken away for illustrative clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially onlines 2-2 of FIGURE 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view through theski boot positioning collar or boot closure surrounding the heated airsupply conduit, taken substantially on lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2, in thedirection of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view to a reduced scale takenon lines 44 of FIGURE 1, in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially onlines 55 of FIGURE 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the boot positioning collarand'the end section of the air supply conduit, an alternate end sectionalso being shown;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view to a reduced scale of'anotherembodiment of the boot drier of the instant invention, showing the samremovably secured to a con- 'ventional hair drier unit; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the air drier unitconnected to the new drier enclosure of FIGURE 7 taken substantially onlines 8-8 of FIGURE 7 in the direction of the arrows, with parts brokenaway for illustrative clarity.

Referring in particular to the exemplary embodiment of the invention, asshown, in FIGURES 1 through 6, in which portable air drier container 20is comprised of a securable and removable top means 22 with a carryinghandle 24 secured thereto by rivet means or bolt means 26, side means 28and one end means 29 connected thereto with ventilation aperture means30 therein, the container 20 further including bottom means 32 connectedto an end means 29a and angle supports 2%, as shown, any conventionallatch means (not shown) securing the top means 22 to the remainder ofthe container 20.

Bottom means 32 is secured to a support and clamping means 34 for a pairof ski boots 36 indicated in broken lines of FIGURE 1. Support andclamping means 34 comprises rear clamping means 38 secured thereto bybolt or rivet means 40, and front clamping means 42 secured to clampingand support frame means 34 by wing nut bolt means 44 and cushioningspring means 46, as best shown in FIGURE 1. Clamping and support means34 contains therein ventilation apertures 48. Clamping means 38 and 42may be used to adjust boot means 36 within enclosure means 20.

The front end means 29a contains therein apertured air intake grill andscreen means 50 operatively secured to the intake throat 51 of housingmeans 52 of fan means 54, energized by motor means 56 connected toterminal means 58 passing through grommet 59 in end means 29a andadapted to be plugged into a suitable source of electricity (not shown).

Intake housing means 52 contains a heating element means 60 energized byswitch means 62 of terminal means (not shown) from motor means 56.

Motor means 56 is selectively energized by switch means 64 and terminalmeans 58.

Housing means 52 of fan means 54 contains therein a cowl means 65containing fan blade means 66 secured to shaft means 68 of motor means56, as best shown in FIGURE 1.

Cowl means 65 is operably connected by conventional connecting means toflexible reinforced hose means 70 which is intermediately connected to adual ventilation horn means 72 which communicates by apertured means inshoe form 73 having portions 73 and 73a by apertured boot closure orcollar means 74 for substantially the full length of the inside chambermeans 360 of boot means 36 allowing escape of the supply air therefromthrough aperture means 76 of closure collar means 74. Closure means 74is adjustable up and down to fit shoes and boots with different heightsof tops. Horn conduit portions 73 and 73a may be attached together by apress fit, telescoping joint means 78 with slot and detent means 79 and79a, respectively, conventional screwed joint means or a suitable jointdetent means with members 73 and 73a modified in length as member 73/),as shown in FIGURE 6.

Rear clamping means 38 comprises an arcuate portion 39 for adjustableclearance of angle portion 41 with the a side profile means of bootmeans 36, and angle means 45 is adjustable secured by slot or otherconventional means by screw bolt means 43 to angle means 41.

Clamping means 42 also contains an arcuate portion 42a similar toarcuate surface 39 for positioning and clamping clearance with the endsof boot means 36. Clamping means 42 is also adjustable by slot means 42bin clamping support means 34, as best seen in FIGURE 4.

In FIGURES 7 and 8, fan 52 and motor means 56 of closure 20 have beenreplaced by a separate selectively energized portable motor and fan hairdrier unit 80 connected by electrical cable energizing means 58a to anelectrically energized outlet receptacle 58b, unit 80 comprising aflexible reinforced hot air supply conduit means 82 connected to acoupling sleeve means 84, similar to a conventional vacuum hose joint.

Sleeve means 84 is secured in an aperture means 86 in end means 29a ofportable container enclosure means 20a. Sleeve means 84 is adapted to besealably connected to flexible hose means 7%, as best seen in FIGURE 8.

The modification of the invention as shoWn by FIG- URES 7 and 8, isnovel, in that the heavier fan and motor elements of the drier enclosure20 above are removed therefrom in package form for convenience ofportability, weight distribution, and possible use of an availableconventional hair drier therewith at a saving in cost of the containerdried enclosure 20a.

The lid means 22, in both modifications of the invention, may be securedto enclosure means 21} by buckle strap means (not shown), hinge and haspmeans or other conventional means, as desired.

' In operation of the modification of the invention of FIGURES 1 through6, boot means 36 may be placed in pairs or in plurality in closure means20, positioned and clamped in place therein, switches 62 and 64, turnedon, and lid means 22 placed tightly on closure means 20 and left for apredetermined time to dry boot means 36 after which boot means 36 may beremoved from container means 20 and used immediately by the wearer.

The operation of the drying container 20a of FIGURES 7 and 8 is similarto the above modification of FIGURES 1 to 6, except hose member 70a isconnected to the separately packaged and energized hair drier unit 80instead of utilizing switch means 62 and 64 of FIGURE 1.

It is to be understood that the modifications of the present inventionmay be adapted for drying other articles, such as boxing gloves and thelike, within the purview of this invention.

It is to be further understood that this invention is not restricted todrying a pair of boots, but may be used to dry a variety of articles astaught by the invention, as well as to thawing frozen foods and touniformly warm a pair of boots prior to waxing or greasing the same formaximum efiiciency in weatherproofing the boots.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided animproved portable air drier device for ski shoes and the like whichaccomplishes all the objects 4 of this invention, and others, includingmany advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as manymodifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. An air drier device for uniformly drying ski boots and the likecomprising an enclonure means, heated air supply means cooperating withsaid enclosure means, positioning and clamping means for securing atleast one ski boot therein for drying, at least one apertured shoe formheated air supply conduit means extending substantially within the fulllength of said boot cooperating with said heated air supply means, andboot closure means for securing said air conduit form means within saidboot, said boot closure means containing aperture means therein adaptedfor escape of heated air within said boot means.

2. An air drier device as in claim 1, wherein said enclosure means isportable.

3. An air drier device, as in claim 1, wherein said shoe form airconduit means is flexibly connected to said heated air supply means toprevent vibrations therefrom.

4. An air drier device, as in claim 1, wherein said enclosure meanscomprises air intake means and air exhaust aperture means therefrom.

5. An air drier device, as in claim 1, wherein said shoe forrn airsupply conduit means comprises adjustable apertured conduit members tofit various sizes and shapes of boots.

6. An air drier device, as in claim 1, wherein said heated air supplymeans comprises an energized portable external air heater and blowerunit adapted to be fiexibly connected to said heated air supply formconduit means within said boot.

7. An air d-rier device as in claim 1, wherein said boot closure meansis adjustably carried by said air conduit form means for accommodatingboots of various heights.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,506,041 8/1924Bassette et al 34243 X 1,688,793 10/1928 Schrenkeisen 34104 2,260,24410/1941 Walter 34-104 2,365,138 12/1944 Mongan 34104 X 2,465,362 3/1949Elliott 34104 2,614,337 10/1952 Darbo 34104 3,154,392 10/1964 Littman34-104 FOREIGN PATENTS 123,769 10/1919 Great Britain.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Examiner.

A. D. HERRMANN, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN AIR DRIER DEVICE FOR UNIFORMLY DRYING SKI BOOTS AND THE LIKECOMPRISING AN ENCLOSURE MEANS, HEATED AIR SUPPLY MEANS COOPERATING WITHSAID ENCLOSURE MEANS, POSITIONING AND CLAMPING MEANS FOR SECURING ATLEAST ONE SKI BOOT THEREIN FOR DRYING, AT LEAST ONE APERTURED SHOE FORMHEATED AIR SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN THE FULLLENGTH OF SAID BOOT COOPERATING WITH SAID HEATED AIR SUPPLY MEANS, ANDBOOT CLOSURE MEANS FOR SECURING SAID AIR CONDUIT FORM MEANS WITHIN SAIDBOOT, SAID BOOT CLOSURE MEANS CONTAINING APERTURE MEANS THEREIN ADAPTEDFOR ESCAPE OF HEATED AIR WITHIN SAID BOOT MEANS.